Raisio plc’s Research Foundation supports scientific research primarily related to the development of foods, food ingredients and their production methods. The Research Foundation also supports research related to safety of food products and commercialization of food products.
In recent years, the Foundation has executed its activity by awarding personal salary grants for postgraduate studies aiming at a doctoral degree. In addition, the foundation organizes science seminars and awards recognition scholarships to well executed master’s theses.
At its meeting held on November 28, 2022, the Board of Directors of Raisio plc’s Research Foundation has decided to award a total of EUR 112,000 in post graduate research grants for 2023. The grants are intended as a salary grant for a doctoral student. A doctoral student whose PhD topic is once awarded with a research grant of the Foundation has the opportunity to receive a salary grant for a maximum of four years, provided that the studies proceed according to plans. Continued postgraduate grants are decided annually on the basis of a separate application.
Based on the public grant application process held in October 2022, 12 new grant applications and one continued grant application were submitted to the Foundation within the deadline. The total amount of funding requested was € 273 333 €.
Anna Puganen, Food Sciences, Department of Life Technologies, Faculty of Technology, University of Turku
PhD research title: Connecting the lipid content and composition to the volatiles and perceived sensory quality in oat samples
The aim of the PhD research is to determine the lipid profiles of different oat lots representing different Finnish oat cultivars and to study the relationship between lipids, volatile compounds and perceived flavour as such and after storage. The goal of this research is to enhance the versatile use of Finnish oat cultivars in food products
Sini Kuosmanen, Department of Food and Nutrition and Department of Economics and Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki
PhD research title: Plant-based diets, legume consumption and the practices of eating – a practice-theoretical approach to advancing sustainable diets.
The dissertation deals with the transition towards more plant-based and sustainable diets specifically from the consumer perspective with a special focus on adding legumes, especially domestical faba beans and pea, into diets to partially replace animal proteins. The objective is to find out how plant-based eating and increasing legume consumption could be advanced both on societal and individual levels.
Nazia Deoghare, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, (Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki)
PhD research title: Application of legumes for the development of zero-waste, carbon-neutral solutions for the brewing Industry.
The objective of the research of the dissertation is to investigate the potential use of legumes as an alternative to barely in the brewing process. This could lead to new types of nutritious beverages with reduced environmental impact.
Anton Örn, Laboratory for Molecular Research and Technology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University
Dissertation title: Synthesis of rare sugars through site-selective epimerization
The thesis work aims to develop a cost effective production method for psicose that is based on the site-selective catalytic epimerization of fructose. The goal can be achieved by studying the materials and mechanisms of the required multiphase catalytic systems in detail.
In 2018, Raisio plc’s Research Foundation decided to donate funds to the University of Turku to a professorship in the Food Chemistry and Food Development Unit of the Faculty of Science and Technology. The new professorship focuses on the study of the plants cultivated in Finland, supports the export of Finnish foods that are based on sustainable development, and promotes well-being by advancing the development of healthy foods.
The donation covers the basic funding of the professorship for the first five years, i.e., 2019–2023. The University of Turku appointed PhD Kati Hanhineva for the position.
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Members of the Board of the Raisio plc’s Research Foundation:
President, CEO Pekka Kuusniemi, Raisio plc, Chairman of the Board
Professor Maija Tenkanen, University of Helsinki
Member of the Board Erkki Haavisto, Raisio plc
Professor Tapio Salmi, Åbo Akademi
Ph.D. Jussi Manninen, VTT
Product Development Director Aino Sivonen, Raisio plc
General topics related to Foundation and scholarships: tutkimussaatio(at)raisio.com
Representative: Director of Research, Ingmar Wester, ingmar.wester(at)raisio.com, Tel. 050 601 32